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Related Concept Videos

Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
Polygenic Traits01:18

Polygenic Traits

When more than one gene is responsible for a given phenotype, the trait is considered polygenic. Human height is a polygenic trait. Studies have uncovered hundreds of loci that influence height, and there are believed to be many more. Due to the high number of genes involved, as well as environmental and nutritional factors, height varies significantly within a given population. The distribution of height forms a bell-shaped curve, with relatively few individuals in the population at the...
Cancer Prevention02:59

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
Cancer Prevention02:59

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes01:33

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes01:33

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing (ChIP-seq)
09:52

Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing (ChIP-seq)

Published on: April 19, 2013

Human height genes and cancer.

Romina Tripaldi1, Liborio Stuppia, Saverio Alberti

  • 1Unit of Cancer Pathology, Department of Neuroscience and Imaging and CeSI, Foundation University G. d'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|February 23, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Human height genes are linked to cancer risk, influencing cell growth and migration pathways crucial for both development and neoplastic diseases. This discovery may reshape our understanding of tumor development.

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Last Updated: May 14, 2026

Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing (ChIP-seq)
09:52

Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing (ChIP-seq)

Published on: April 19, 2013

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres
06:52

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres

Published on: July 22, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Body development relies on controlled cell proliferation, metabolism, and migration, processes also fundamental to cancer.
  • Recent genome-wide studies identified numerous human height-associated genes.
  • A significant overlap exists between genes influencing height and those linked to cancer risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the link between genes associated with human height and neoplastic growth.
  • To explore the molecular pathways connecting normal body development and cancer.
  • To re-evaluate current paradigms of tumor development based on shared genetic factors.

Main Methods:

  • Genome-wide SNP-association studies for height loci identification.
  • Analysis of height-associated genes for links to cancer and neoplastic growth.
  • Review of genetic data from body-size-related diseases and animal models.
  • Examination of key signaling pathways (e.g., HH/PTCH, BMP/TGFβ) and network nodes (e.g., p53, c-Myc).

Main Results:

  • Over 100 genes associated with height were identified.
  • A majority of these height-associated genes are implicated in neoplastic growth and increase cancer risk.
  • Height-associated genes regulate critical developmental pathways like Hedgehog (HH/PTCH) and Bone Morphogenetic Protein/Transforming Growth Factor beta (BMP/TGFβ).
  • Central network nodes including p53, c-Myc, ERα, HNF4A, and SMADs are involved.

Conclusions:

  • Genes regulating normal human height are deeply connected to the fundamental processes of cancer.
  • This connection suggests that master genes controlling body plan also play a role in tumor development.
  • The findings necessitate a re-evaluation of cancer development paradigms, integrating insights from developmental biology and genetics.